NOTIZIE DI CINA: I) Inizio S.ta Quaresima in Anhwei.

domenica 29 marzo 2020

I) Inizio S.ta Quaresima in Anhwei.

A) Lettera Pastorale del Vescovo. (…originale in Mandarino…)

B ) Lettera Pastorale del Vescovo. (…traduzione in Inglese)

By Joseph Xing Hong Liu, Bishop of Anhwei Diocese

Feb. 24, 2020

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I greet you all with peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By the will of Jesus Christ, I became His servant and your pastor. At this critical moment when “Convid 2019" epidemic struck China, becomes prevalent and shows no sign to end, I remember each of you in my concern and prayer, entrusting your physical and spiritual well-being, to God and Blessed Virgin Mary through offering daily Mass. May you always be under the protection of the Almighty God, so that you will not be harmed or attacked by the evil caused by this great peril.

Each year, according to the tradition of Holy Catholic Church, each member is invited anew to seriously participate the liturgical season of Lent. Yet, we have a special Lent this year due to the outbreak of the “epidemic”. Because its situation is still severe, the churches are closed at the moment for preventing the virus spread among the crowd. Yet, I implore all of you, the children of God, with God’s mercy to join me in actively responding to Pope Francis' "Lenten Message 2020" by keeping the tradition which the Mother Church has instructed us. Here are four points on which I would like you priests, brothers, sisters and all faithful, to be attentive and to follow in the spirit of renewal.

1. To persist in prayers, that is, to remember daily morning and evening prayers as well as to say a decade of rosary，so as to dedicate ourselves to God with the Blessed Mother Mary.

2. To practice the virtue of self-denial and to perform penance on daily basis, so as to eliminate our selfish desires and partiality, in order to walk with the Lord and be sanctified.
3. During Lent, it is obligatory to observe the norms of fasting. On Friday, there must be strict observance of abstinence from meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, it is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. Abstinence from meat is obligatory.（Exception: elderly people, the weak, the sick, pregnant women and children are not bound by this norm.）

4. Whether going outside or staying at home, to conduct charitable deeds on daily basis, because by charity not only can you build up people, but also can your good deeds give witness to our faith and religion.

Finally, by the mercy of God, I invite all of you to prepare yourselves，in order to better welcome Easter. Come! Let us offer our body and soul to God and conduct our daily life according to the spirit of Lent. I humbly ask all of you to pray for me, your bishop, and all priests, brothers and sisters of Anhwei Diocese. May God bless and renew us all!